This invention relates to certain substituted 1-trifluoromethylphenyl-2-phenyliminopyrrolidines and to their use in herbicidal formulations. In particular, this invention relates to substituted 1-trifluoromethylphenyl-2-phenyliminopyrrolidines of the formula ##STR2## in which:
R is a member selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl: R, is a member selected from the group consisting of CF.sub.3,CH.sub.3, CF.sub.2 CHF.sub.2, OCF.sub.2 CHF.sub.2, OCHF.sub.2, OCF.sub.3, SCH.sub.3, S(O)CH.sub.3, SO.sub.2 CH.sub.3, methoxyiminomethyl, methoxyimino-1-ethyl, benzoyloxyiminomethyl, and benzoyloxyimino-1-ethyl: and
X and Y are independently selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, CN and CF.sub.3.
The compounds of the present invention, as will be seen from the description and test data which follow, have utility as both pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides, against a wide range of plant species. These compounds are of particular utility in the control of weeds associated with wheat crops. The preferred method of application is pre-emergence.
The terms "herbicide" and "herbicidal" are used herein to denote the inhibitive control or modification of undesired plant growth. Inhibitive control and modification include all deviations from natural development such as, for example, total killing, growth retardation, defoliaiion. desiccation, regulation, stunting, tillering, stimulation, leaf burn, and dwarfing. The term "herbicidally effective amount" is used to denote any amount which achieves such control or modification when applied to the undesired plants. themselves or to the area in which these plants are growing. The term "plants" is intended to include germinant seeds, emerging seedlings and established vegetation, including both roots and above-ground portions.